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Negative Into Negative

This document explains why a negative number multiplied by a negative number equals a positive number through two examples: 1) It uses the example of measuring distance and velocity of cars traveling east and west to show that a car traveling west at -50 kph for -1 hours would be located 50 km east, following the pattern of negative x negative equals positive. 2) It lists the products of -3 multiplied by increasing positive integers to show the pattern that a negative number multiplied by a negative number results in a positive number rather than continuing to decrease as the integers increase.

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Murali
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48 views1 page

Negative Into Negative

This document explains why a negative number multiplied by a negative number equals a positive number through two examples: 1) It uses the example of measuring distance and velocity of cars traveling east and west to show that a car traveling west at -50 kph for -1 hours would be located 50 km east, following the pattern of negative x negative equals positive. 2) It lists the products of -3 multiplied by increasing positive integers to show the pattern that a negative number multiplied by a negative number results in a positive number rather than continuing to decrease as the integers increase.

Uploaded by

Murali
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Negative into negative= positive

Explanation 1)
Suppose you're standing on a road, and you measure mileage to the east
as positive, and to the west as negative. So you are at zero, and a town one
km east is at +1 km, while a town two kms to the west is at -2 kms.

A car travelling east will have a positive velocity, and a car travelling
west will have a negative one. So a car going east at 50 kmph goes at +50
kmph, and a car going west at the same speed goes at -50 kmph.

This makes sense, since if they go for an hour (+1 hour), the east-going
car will be at (+1)(+50) = 50 kms, and the car going west will be at (+1)(-
50) = -50 kms(= 50 kms west).

Now suppose a car passes you going east at 50 kmph. Where was it one
hour ago? Or at -1 hour? Just multiply: (-1)(50) = -50 = 50 kms west.

How about a car going west at 50 kmph? Where was it an hour ago? Its
velocity is -50, the time is -1, so it was at (-1)(-50), and the answer should
be 60 kms east, or +50.

So (-1)(-60) = +50

There fore Negative into negative= positive

2)Another explanation

Here's a plausibility argument drawn from multiplication patterns:


3 x -3 = -9
2 x -3 = -6
1 x -3 = -3
0 x -3 = 0
-1 x -3 = 3
There fore Negative into negative= positive

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